It’s about a kid who was born in Maryland to a pair of Orioles fans; who grew up in North Carolina still cheering for the Orioles; and who, unexpectedly, found himself traded to his favorite team last July and ultimately pitching at Camden Yards in August.

That’s enough to carry a solid baseball yarn.

But right-hander Evan Phillips’ tale is much more. Because this is his parents’ story, too.

Perhaps you can’t fully appreciate it unless you grew up in the Mid-Atlantic region and went “Down the O,” as a kid. Although maybe it transcends geography; nostalgia and puppy love winning out.

It’s about summer-vacationing in Ocean City, Md. It’s about being a teenager and meeting a member of the opposite sex from an exotic locale such as Pennsylvania, Virginia or New Jersey.

It’s about a stolen week of hand-holding on the boardwalk, epic battling in miniature golf and walking the...